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Iran Makes U-Turn over Hormuz
(Wall Street Journal) Benoit Faucon - On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that the Strait of Hormuz was "completely open" to commercial traffic. Yet on Saturday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired on at least two commercial ships and broadcast warnings to mariners that the waterway remained closed. The episode shows that those expressing a willingness to compromise might not have full backing. Morteza Mahmoudi, a senior hard-line lawmaker, called for Araghchi's removal, saying his statement had eased oil prices and given a gift to the U.S. On Saturday, Iran's joint military command formally announced the strait had been closed. The Revolutionary Guard was angry that Araghchi hadn't coordinated with it before making his announcement, a senior adviser to the IRGC in Tehran said. The group still wants to exact revenge for its losses during the war and feels it has the upper hand militarily, some analysts said. "Hard-line resistance against a deal with the U.S. has become louder, presenting a major political challenge," said Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in Washington.